In the Simple Act
by littlechrno
Summary: This weeks response to the equivalent exchange challenge!


**In the Simple Act**

This week's response to Equivalent Exchange's challenge, all standard disclaimers applies. This week's rating is a **T**. My paring is EdxWinry. Now on to the challenge…..

Shameless plug To find the weekly challenge go to my user bio to find the equivalent exchange url.

"Is alchemy all you think about?" Winry cried.

She hadn't meant to yell, she really hadn't. However whenever she had a few rare trips to central Ed would make a point in,

Treating her to dinner.

Buying some really lovely tools

And lastly, and the one that she hated was sent as much time in Centrals Library.

As time passed and Ed got to be more of a well known State Alchemist she hadn't minded, after all she was sure that Ed still had a few things to learn. With his and Al's lives on the line with each mission she wanted him to know all he could, to try to be prepared for any and everything.

However as time passed his thirst for knowledge started to annoy her, for some unknown reasons. Well unknown until they were sixteen, Ed and Al had came home for some auto-mail repairs and during their short stay a girl, her name now escaped her, had tried to talk to the famous Elric brothers. She had giggled a few times as Ed recounted many of his journeys since his enlistment in the military. Everything had been in good humor until the girl who Winry still couldn't remember the name of had started to slowly move closer to Ed and started to giggle differently at the stories. It in all its oddity had confused Winry at first until later that night she had seen the girl silently move quickly in to kiss Ed.

Winry herself had been enraged at the sight but she watched as Ed had simply put his hands on the girls shoulders and pushed her away, with a small sad smile Ed had whispered something to the girl in which made her cried out and ran away. Sneaking back inside Winry was just as confused as she had been when the girl kissed Ed. Her thoughts mucked by sudden flares of something she couldn't name, rage at both the girl and Ed for their parts in making her feel these foreign emotions.

It would be months later when Ed and AL had gone and a new family with their son moved into town. The son was beautiful, or at least that's what the older girls had to say, he had been tall with dark blonde hair and the greenest eyes she had ever seen. But what had attracted Winry to him were his endless questions of auto-mail. He, whom was named Damon, would help her from dawn to dusk on whatever piece of auto-mail she was working on. It was after a few weeks of this did things suddenly change. It was mid-day and the weather was not favorable, Winry would later chalk everything up to heat fever or at least that's what she told everyone. Damon and she had been in the workshop trying to make some adjustments on an auto-mail arm she had wanted ready for Ed's next visit.

She wasn't sure on the events leading up to her first kiss, but suddenly Damon had came up behind her and wrapped his arms around waist and kissed her neck softly. Shocked she stood numbly as Damon had twisted her around in his arms and softly placed his lips on hers. Stilling herself she briefly wondered why the action of the kiss felt so wrong. Suddenly the image of Ed's smiling face popped into her mind and roughly pushed Damon away, bringing the back of her hand up to wipe away his kiss.

Unnerved as she watched Damon slowly gathers his belongings up and slowly head for the door she felt sudden fear deep within, suddenly his friendship meant the world to her. Calling out she reached out to him as he reached for the door, explaining the unexplainable, simply telling him that there was a uncertain reason as to why she could return his feelings. It would be days later as she watched in horror as Damon slowly picked up a new habit. One when asked was explained away by as a whisky lullaby.

Winry hated what Damon had became, a drunken shell of a man that use to be so full of life. She hated the fact that every time their paths would cross he would ask the one question she couldn't answer, _why_? It would be the same each and every time, she would open her mouth to speak and flashes of Ed would cross her mind. Thus killing her answer before it reached her lips. And so her life took on a new routine, before Damon there had been a bright lively young woman and after Damon and his ill fated kiss stood an empty confused girl.

Months had passed since the whole affaire and slowly Winry settled into her routine; shopping quietly and alone never speaking a word and yet she heard the small hushed tones around her. Some blamed her for break Damon, some (those who could and would) remember the Elric brother branded her as unfaithful. It was then in the truth of the small whispers did Winry start to understand why she had pushed Damon away.

_Edward Elric_

Her heart thumped at the mere thought of him and her heart would not ignore the fact any longer, she loved him. Her childhood friend, the same one that had transmuted flowers for her, the one that had tried to comfort her when her parents had been killed, the one who broke her heart every time he left.

Shaking her head she could not hide it any longer, and so the next time Damon asked his why she answered honest and truthfully. Some say in the next few days that Damon came worst than what he had been. Suddenly he had a hatred for alchemy and state alchemist, protesting where ever and when ever he could that alchemy was ancient black magic. Smiling Winry was glad that Damon finally could hate something tangible. Until one rainy night…

Opening the door for a soaked and beaten Edward Elric Winry simply shook her head and headed off for a towel and dry clothes. Contently helping Ed out of his soaking clothes she hummed light, ignoring the sudden look she got from both brothers. Giggling she asked them of their currently search for the philosopher's stone, listened in detailed as Ed rambled on about this lead and that one.

Contently listening to his voice and taking in his presence; smiling once more she move to place the towel over his damp hair and started move it back and fore in a attempt to help his hair dry. Every now and again she would glide her fingers under the towel to brush his bangs out of his eyes and some what make sure she wasn't dreaming.

Before she could count to ten it was Al complaining on how late it was getting and before she knew Ed was raising up and walking away from her. Suddenly fear entered her shaking her down to her soul, calling out she realized that she had to try. Try and make him understand what she felt for him, to make sure he felt the intense love she had for him. With a pounding heart she rushed to him, crashing against his chest. Wrapping her arms around his neck hoping he wouldn't notice her soft sob, and yet ever so gently she felt his arms wrap around her waist holding her very so carefully.

"I have waited so long…."

Glancing up at him sharply she wondered at his words, questioning him with her eyes since she didn't trust her voice. However his reply was something completely different, it showed that Damon's words months earlier had been true. Actions speak louder than words and Ed simply said it best. Winry smiled as she thought back on that night; gliding across the floor she picked up the small gift Ed had gave her that night. Softly caressing the small soft face of her son Winry knew the truth behind such love. Cause it never bothered her Ed had never said those three small words to her, cause when it came right down to it she knew. She believed in Ed cause he taught her everything about him, and he didn't have to say a word cause.

The act of such a simple kiss told her everything about him.


End file.
